Miami accommodation from NZ$128

Things to Do in Miami

If you hear “Miami,” and you immediately think “party”, there’s only one place you need to know about: South Beach. Relax with a mojito along the 3km of powdery sand by day, then find your perfect place to dance the night away, from chill lounges to mega-clubs pulsing with electronica.

Want to rage all day and all night? Pool parties and day clubs abound in this city of beautiful people. If you get a little too wild, not to worry— accommodation in South Beach is near the best people-watching around. Put on your sunnies, soak up last night’s booze with pastelitos de guayaba (flaky, guava-and-cheese filled pastries) and spend the day spotting expensive cars (and nose jobs) on Ocean Drive.

If your rave days are past, Miami is filled with historic, gastronomic and family-friendly fun. Ever seen a liger? That’s a lion/tiger combo, and Jungle Island has one. You can also see rare white alligators, take a photo with lion cubs and interact with squirrel monkeys. Travellers of all ages can appreciate that! Take a tour of Vizcaya Museum and Gardens, a 1910 mansion filled with classic American art and furniture, then check out its 10-acre lawn to see European landscaped gardens and hundred-year-old plants.

Getting To & Around Miami

Flights to Miami will land at the international airport (MIA) east of downtown. The Metrorail Orange Line connects the airport with downtown, Coconut Grove and South Miami, while the Airport Flyer runs every 30 minutes from the airport to Miami Beach and South Beach, with numerous stops in between 44th Street and 1st Street.

Once you’re checked in, the Metrorail and Metrobus can get you to most attractions, like Vizcaya Museum and Gardens, the Historic District and throughout Miami Beach. However, if you’d rather ride in style, taxis and car hire are convenient options for getting to your Miami accommodation and cruising around the city.

Upcoming Events

Are you ready to geek out? Clear your schedule for the first week of July and book hotels in Miami near Florida Supercon, the biggest comic convention in the “Sunshine State”. Meet and greet celebrities in the autograph area. Test out your joystick skills in the gaming centre. And don’t forget to dress as your favourite character the entire time you’re there. You don’t want to look like a fool, do you?

Follow up the comic convention with the biggest seafood festival this side of the Mississippi. The Davie Seafood Festival takes place in middle July and runs for two days. If you want lobster, they have it. If you want shrimp, they’ve got that, too. Pretty much anything you’ve ever eaten that swims in the ocean is here. You’d better bring your appetite, because this is some of the best food in Miami.

Let us fast forward to the end of October. Why? Because that’s when the German American Social Club of Greater Miami holds its annual Oktoberfest. What do you do here? You put on lederhosen, fill up the biggest stein you can find, and drink. No questions asked.

Get Outside!

You’ve raged enough in the throbbing nightclubs, so now it’s time to have some fun with Mother Nature—and she can get wild. Reserve a spot on a private Everglades Airboat Tour and hang on for dear life as the captain whirls around the shallows at Mach 42. How in the world they avoid the hundreds of alligators swimming about, we don’t know.

Once you’ve gathered your senses, get yourself into a comfortable swimming costume and head to the warm sand of South Beach. Go for a dip in the turquoise-coloured waters of the Atlantic and then wrap your hands around a cold mojito. Don’t leave the beach until you’re bronzed as a third-place medal or red as a lobster. Some of the best places to stay in Miami are located here, so a walk back to your room won’t be hard. Unless your number of mojitos is through the roof.

Must-See Spots

The entire city is a must-see spot, but we’ll narrow it down for you in case you’re only spending one day in Miami. Head over to the Vizcaya Museum and Gardens, the former estate of a businessman named James Deering. Take a tour of the grounds and see how the rich and famous live. It’s a lot better than most of us.

We can’t send you to on Miami holidays without telling you to check out the design district. This is a perfect place to blow a fat stack of cash. A whole lot of high-end fashion companies have stores here. Decking yourself out in clothes by Tom Ford, Prada, Louis Vuitton and Hermes will certainly elevate your status among your circle of friends. After you’ve picked up a pair of pants worth as much as a small car, enjoy a meal at one of the many fine restaurants in the area.

When the rest of the world has the winter blues, Miami keeps the heat turned up. Book accommodation in Miami on Wotif today and you can join the party, too!